


Valiant

by Bloody_inspired_by_newtmas



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Adoptive father snape, Alternate Universe, Daddy Snape, Drarry, Gen, M/M, Severitus, Severus was in love but not with Lily, Slytherin Harry, bonded snake, snake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 07:40:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9311879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloody_inspired_by_newtmas/pseuds/Bloody_inspired_by_newtmas
Summary: After an incredible burst of magic at the Dursleys, Albus Dumbledore is forced to investigate the most unusual occurrence of Harry's life. It seems the summer after Fifth Year brings only unexpected happenings to Harry Potter.





	1. A Very Strange Thing Happens at the Dursleys

**Author's Note:**

> I have discovered a shortage of fics in which Harry bonds with a snake, so I decided to write one. I also invented a magical snake by combining real and mythical snake characteristics. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> PS: None of this (except the snake) is mine! All characters and the story and everything belong to JK Rowling.

Sirius is dead. 

One thought occupied Harry's mind as he sat in his pitiful excuse for his room. He rested his head against the foot of his bed from his position on the floor, legs drawn up to his chest. Harry felt tears gather in his eyes, but he bravely forced them back.  _I have cried enough this summer,_ Harry thought to himself, but he couldn't quite expel the image of Sirius falling through the veil from his memory.  _Sirius is dead._

It didn't feel real to the black haired boy. It felt like some dream--no, some nightmare--which consumed Harry's thoughts. It felt as though Harry would be seeing Sirius and Remus laughing together at the next Order meeting, unknowing that one of them was already gone.  _And it's my fault._

It didn't matter how much Ron or Hermione assured Harry that it was  _not_ his fault, because he knew that it was. Sirius would not have gone to the Ministry had it not been for Harry. Sirius would still be at Grimmauld Place, screaming at that wretched house elf and attempting to fix up the decaying house. Sirius would probably contact Harry through that mirror, listen as Harry whined about the Dursleys, send Harry letters, wish him a happy birthday, bring him to Platform 9 3/4. Sirius would be planning a joke to play on Remus, lightening the mood during serious conversations with Albus, and helping Harry train to fight Voldemort. Sirius would have taught Harry to be an Animagus. Sirius would have told Harry what went on during Order meetings. Sirius would have taken Harry to live with him at 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius would have been Harry's godfather.  _But Sirius is dead because of me._

Harry shifted his legs so that his hands lay between them, fidgeting with his fingers as he tried to find something else to contemplate. He had managed to snatch a book from his trunk before Uncle Vernon locked it in Harry's old cupboard. It was his Defense textbook, for which he was grateful, and it sat next to him on the floor.  _Sirius could have taught me Defense magic._

Deciding that it was as good a distraction as any, Harry grasped the textbook and began leafing through it. Defense had always been Harry's favorite subject, despite his poor instructors save Remus. Even with that monstrous toad Umbridge teaching the class, Harry did not lose his love for the art. It was partially why he started the DA. He could not bear to think of how much he would grow to hate Defense if Umbridge continued to be the sole influence of it. He just loved how his wand seemed to burst with power each time he cast a defensive--or even offensive--spell. He adored how his wand seemed to be the perfect defensive wand, constructed as the brother of Voldemort's wand. He figured that was why it was so good at defensive magic. Voldemort's wand was used to hurt people, Harry's was used to protect them. A perfect counterpart.

The use of defensive magic fascinated Harry, how to harness one's power to protect oneself or another person. It was different from the magic that would be used for Transfiguration. Transfiguration required a focus, a thought, an intent, and a dissatisfaction for how an object, creature, or person was in order to change it into something else. Defense required a focus, a thought, and an intent to preserve an object, creature, or person exactly as it was with no harm done. Well, perhaps not  _no_ harm done, as evidenced by Harry's scar, but minimal. 

The Defense textbook seemed to be exactly what Harry needed to distract himself from his dark thoughts. He was reading up on the nonverbal casting of a Patronus and exactly what was required to do so. Obviously, one needed a happy memory, but a nonverbal Patronus entails a lot more energy than a verbal Patronus. Therefore, the happy memory must be incredibly significant; the happiest moment in your life in order to be sufficient for the Patronus. Similarly, no one, to anyone's knowledge, had ever cast a wandless Patronus. It was rumored that Merlin had been able to do so, but they were not confirmed by any reliable source. 

Harry was so caught up in his reading that he failed to notice the strange thump on his bedroom floor until he heard the voice. 

_I wake._

Harry nearly fell over in his surprise, his book falling from his grasp as he scrambled in search of the voice's source. He did not have to look very hard. There, inexplicably in front of him in his bedroom, was a large egg. It was not in any sense a normal-looking egg. Smooth and teardrop shape, the egg appeared to contain something large and heavy. Its silvery, almost ethereal glow suggested that said creature was perhaps not natural. Or, at least, not natural to muggles. Harry felt an incredible urge to touch the egg, a pull which he somehow knew was not in the least bit normal.

Harry attempted to resist, ordering his body to stay firmly put. He knew that anything could be in that egg and he had no desire to find out was it was. Well, at least not much of a desire. With his luck, it would be a dragon egg portkey sent by Voldemort so that it would take Harry to him and then eat him raw.

Still, he could not resist the tug he felt for very long, and found himself slowly inching forward with his arm outstretched. His mind was screaming at him to run, to leave the house and damn the consequences because there was no way they could be worse than what he faced here. However, his body seemed to be entirely independent from his mind. It was as uncontrollable as accidental magic at this point, an impossible loss of conscious movement as he made his way toward the egg and reached forward. Tentatively, he touched the thin-but-strong shell of the egg, wondering at its impossible smoothness. All unblemished eggs were smooth, but this exceeded those bounds. It felt almost silky beneath his fingers as he gently stroked the egg.

Suddenly, as he began to warm up to caressing the shell, it  _purred._ It seemed that the creature, whatever it was, enjoyed the touch he bestowed on its external covering. The sound, however, did not wake Harry from the spell it seemed his body was under, but it further solidified what Harry had been beginning to suspect he had to do.

 _Help me,_ that voice said again, no louder than its initial noise. 

Without pausing to consider what he was doing or how he was doing it, Harry responded.  _How?_

 _Break the shell,_ the creature replied as if it were obvious. Well, considering what Harry's instincts--or perhaps, the spell thing--were telling him to do, it was a bit obvious. 

Again, not entirely sure how he knew what to do, Harry followed his body's instructions. Laying a firm hand on the egg, Harry focussed his eyes solely on the shell in front of him and drew his power from within himself. He called words to his mind, but when he went to speak them, he knew they somehow came out in Parseltongue.  _Fall away,_ he commanded the shell. 

To Harry's mind's surprise and body's satisfaction, the egg began to disintegrate, fragments of shell gently crashing to the floor. A thick, black liquid spilled from within the confines of the egg and onto Harry's scuffed floors. It looked disgusting, and it smelled even worse, but a certain sick curiosity bloomed in Harry as the creature began to emerge. 

The last bit on the upper half of the egg fell to the floor, and the creature peeked its head out of its casing. 

Once again, Harry nearly fell over. 

It wasn't so surprising to Harry that the creature was a snake. After all, Harry  _had_ spoken Parseltongue in order to hatch the egg. What was shocking, and incredibly alarming, was what breed of snake it was. 

After Harry had discovered that he was a Parselmouth in Second Year, Hermione had forced him to research the most famous snakes. Most of them were famous for their numerous population or their frequency in common potions. Some, however, were infamous for their deadliness. A prime example was the Basilisk Harry had faced that very year, and he had very nearly died from its venom. Another chief example was the snake before him at that very moment. A Velenosa.

It's shiny, black scales glittered in the faint light of the room as the snake stretched elegantly. Its size surprised Harry. He knew that a Velenosa could grow to be over six meters long, but he did not expect it to be born a meter and a half long already. The thing was huge! The size the snake and the shape of its head, thin but covered in fire-like plume, made it distinct from other snakes, even though it wasn't native to that region of Europe. 

The word "velenosa" literally meant "poisonous" in Italian, which was the country in which the Velenosa had first been discovered in the 15th century. Since then, it had become one of the most feared snakes in the world. Harry could not recall every single one of its characteristics and abilities. It  _had_ been three years since he read anything on the snake, but he did remember that it produced two variations of deadly venom and that it was the fasted known snake in existence. Neither of those traits reassured him at all, and he began to contemplate exactly how he could escape from this situation without dying. 

The door was too far away, and the snake lay in front of it anyway. The window bars had been replaced since the Weasleys has rescued him from the Dursleys. He didn't see anything with which he could kill the thing, but he might be able to strangle it if he tried hard enough. He wished more than anything at that moment that he had his wand, but that accompanied his school textbooks locked in his old cupboard. His only hope lay in accidental magic which, of course, was  _accidental._ He couldn't perform wandless magic the way Dumbledore and McGonagall were able to. He couldn't just  _accio_ his wand the way he wished he could. 

He began to simply accept death as it came, knowing that he would at least see his parents, Sirius, and Cedric again, even if it meant he couldn't kill Voldemort. Just as he prepared himself for the deadly bite, something entirely unexpected happened.

He heard that same voice speaking aloud,  _My human._

Knowing that he would be dead in minutes facilitated Harry's response.  _You mean, your dinner._

 _My human,_ the snake repeated. It began to slowly slither toward him, its black scales shimmering like ink. Harry backed away from it, slowly so as not to startle it into attack.  _My human._

The snake increased its speed until Harry was firmly cornered against the wall.  _My human._

 _This is it,_ Harry thought to himself,  _this is where I die. Alone with a snake in my bedroom. And I'm a Parselmouth. How ironic._

Harry closed his eyes, expecting death at any minute when something entirely different occurred. The snake slithered up to him until it was just before him and lifted its head to nuzzle Harry's hand. 

Magic seemed to explode around Harry as the world began to spin. Colors--black, green, and gold--exploded in his vision, glowing brilliantly throughout the room. Harry's heart raced as time seemed to stop, the only thing that seemed to exist was the magic in the air. It was as if everything was made of energy-- _visible_ energy--and that not even Merlin himself could have known this kind of magic. The walls shook with its intensity, bed rattling against the wood of the floor, and window shattering forcefully.

Then, the magic seemed to gather itself into one, enormously powerful orb that floated in the center of Harry's bedroom before it calmly made its way toward him.

Harry thought the orb would stop in front of him, but it didn't. It floated _into_ him.

And the whole world exploded.  


	2. Albus Dumbledore is Getting Too Old for This...Rubbish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case any of you were wondering, I actually don't know where I'm going with this story. I'm just kind of writing whatever I feel like writing. If any of you have a request for something (a detail or ship, not an entire plot) you want me to include, feel free to let me know and I'll try my best to include it. As of right now, I only have a skeleton of a story.

Albus Dumbledore was normally an incredibly busy man. He was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, not to mention Order of Merlin first class. As such, there seemed to be an endless list of things Albus needed to see to and the list just kept growing as Albus aged. He tried to always remain calm and collected, lemon drops always on hand to keep him sane. He never once considered retiring--he loved all of his jobs too much for that--but he would want a break here or there. Of course, Albus couldn't do everything, so he was supremely grateful for people like Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. In Albus's mind, those two were irreplaceable. Fawkes was another vertebra in the backbone that Albus couldn't live without, nor would he ever try. Fawkes was not just Albus's familiar, but also his bonded. They were not tightly bonded the way Voldemort and Nagini were, but he still wore his phoenix's insignia on his right palm, even if it was faded.

Albus and Fawkes shared a Third Degree Bond, a step above a simple owner-and-familiar bond. Tom and Nagini shared a Second Degree Bond, a rare and powerful bond which was hardly ever seen in the wizarding world. A Second Degree was formidable, and any self-respecting wizard knew not to stand between a Second Degreed Pair. 

A First Degree Bond, however, was unheard of since the time of Salazar Slytherin himself who shared a First Degree Bond with a Basilisk. The power of the bond was so great that, when Slytherin died, his Basilisk went insane for losing half of his mind and was subsequently locked in the Chamber of Secrets for the safety of those around him. It was rumored that Salazar Slytherin requested that the Basilisk never be removed from the Chamber, for that was where Slytherin would be closest to him. However, Albus did not know that that was true for a fact. 

First Degree Pairs could do many impossible things, Albus knew. Their insignias were said to be so strong that they actually became lifelike on their palms. They could easily perform wandless magic, though their wanded magic became so powerful that it became hazardous for a First Degree to use a wand for even simple spells. The only safe place for a First Degree to utilize his or her wand would be a battlefield. First Degrees had also been known to develop strange talents such as flying unaided, breathing underwater, hypnotic voice commands, and other uncommon gifts. When First Degrees still existed, they were revered by all wizards, becoming equivalent to gods amongst mortals. However, as in the case of Salazar Slytherin, the power of such a position could corrupt the individual.

Albus sighed, returning to the paperwork in front of him and banishing all thought of First Degree Pairs from his mind. A group of parents had petitioned for the dormitories to be magically expanded to accommodate for the children's comfort and privacy. While Albus did greatly value the students' smooth transition from home life to school life, but he had no intention of fulfilling this request. To expand the dormitories would be to shrink the classrooms or to expand the entire school, neither of which appealed to Albus. Sighing, Albus quickly redirected the petition to Minerva with the explicit instructions to turn down their requests and quickly and painlessly as possible. He knew how parents could get when it came to their child's happiness. 

Albus sorted through the stack of papers, categorizing them as not-importantly, slightly-important, important, urgent, and life-or-death. He placed all brochures and wizarding pamphlets and notices into the not-important pile, placed all casual letters from the Minister into slightly-important, all actual Ministry letters into important, all Order dealings into urgent, and nothing except a blank but secretly-not-so-blank sheet of parchment into the life-or-death pile. Satisfied with his organization, Albus began to work. 

Just as he was about to begin on his urgent paperwork, a chime of mental bells clanged in his head, notifying him that, somewhere, some incredibly powerful magic had been used. The bells grew louder in volume as the magic intensified, until Albus was sure that every wizard in the country would be able to feel power that strong.

Thinking quickly, Albus cast a spell that would locate the source of the power. He prepared to leave immediately to that place where he would either find Voldemort or some other incredibly powerful wizard whom he might enlist to fight Voldemort.

What he had not expected, however, was where the location of this power might be. He glanced twice at the unmistakable glow on the translucent map in front of him to confirm that the source was, in fact, what it appeared to be.

It seemed that the magic was originating from the Dursley residence. 

\-----------

Darkness seemed to envelop Harry like a blanket, but he felt a strange sense of peace with it. It was almost like a welcoming hug, warming him from the outside in. His entire body seemed to glow brightly, magic pumping through his veins until Harry felt untouchable. He had no idea what was happening, but he didn't want it to be over. Colors began to swarm his vision in streams, strokes of paint over a black canvas. 

The oddest sensation overcame Harry as he felt another being occupy his mind. A burning pain in Harry's hand broke the calm into which Harry had slipped. Fire seemed to swirl all over his palm, shooting painful tingles up Harry's arm. A gasp fell from Harry's lips as the fire intensified into pure energy, power, magic. The pain in his palm remained, but it was accompanied by a feeling of being completely in touch with his magical core. Nothing could have hurt Harry then. 

 _Be at peace, my human. We will be okay._  

_Who was that? What did they mean?_

Harry could not understand why he needed to be reminded to be at peace. He couldn't remember ever being this peaceful.  _Am I dead?_ He asked the voice in his head, unsure if it would hear him.

 _No, you are metamorphosing._  

 _Uh_ , Harry replied, alright. _Who are you again?_

 _I do not have a name yet_ , the voice replied,  _but I am your bonded_.

_My what?_

_Your bonded. Now, wake up my human. The transformation is complete._

Startling colors blurred Harry's sight as he slowly opened his eyes. The light of Harry's bedroom shocked his eyes as purple spots began to cloud his vision. The room appeared the same as it had been before the episode. His bed rested against the wall in the center of his tiny room, his bureau sat beside it. Bars blocked the outside of the window. The door was still shut and, presumably, locked from the outside. The floors were still scuffed and wooden. The only difference was that the shell and the black liquid that had spilled from the shell had vanished.

The shell! Harry looked around the room for the black snake that had hatched in his bedroom. He had to be aware of its location, in case it decided to try to kill him. Maybe it somehow escaped and tried to attack the Dursleys. Harry had no love for the Dursleys, but he didn't want a Velenosa to attack them. The snake could kill them with half the venom that came from one of its bites. Where was it?

 _Hush, my human. I am right here_ , the voice, in his head this time, spoke. Suddenly, Harry became aware of his own body. His clothes hung off of him, at least five sizes too big. His palm stilled ached, but it was almost pleasant now. Power still thrummed in his veins, but something far more alarming came to Harry's attention.

The snake was on him! Harry's mind immediately panicked, forcing him into action as he frantically attempted to force the snake off of his shoulders.  _Get off get off get off get off get off!_ Harry shouted mentally. 

 _I would never hurt you_ , the voice--the snake's voice--spoke in Harry's head. Its tone--no, his tone--sounded sad and almost hurt to Harry. It caused Harry to pause in his attempts to force the animal off of him.

_What do you mean?_

The snake seemed almost impatient this time, flicking his tongue at the air to become familiar with his human's scent.  _I am your bonded, and you are my bonded. I would never wish to hurt you._

 _What do you mean by bonded?_ Harry asked, officially baffled.

 _The man will explain_.

What man? The snake did not reply, simply coiled tighter around Harry and closed his eyes, as if taking a relaxing nap. It confused Harry the way the snake seemed so comfortable with him, as if he knew that Harry would not attempt to kill him.

Or perhaps it was because the snake knew he would not succeed in killing him.

Harry sighed, his mind running into overdrive as he tried to understand the situation in which he found himself. Sirius would know what to do, Harry thought mournfully. He lifted his arm to run his hand through his hair. Remus had once told Harry that that was something his dad used to do often. Although, Harry doubted that his dad was half as stressed as Harry was at his age. 

As the Boy-Who-Lived reached for his hair, however, his hand caught the light. Or, more specifically, his palm caught the light. Harry gasped, holding his hand at eye level to better see his palm. He could not comprehend what he was seeing. A black image of fire dance over his palm, the flames appearing to lick his fingers as the picture moved. It looked like a wizard tattoo, but Harry did not have any tattoos, wizard or muggle. Harry had promised himself that he would never be marked because it would be too similar to the Dark Mark. Harry blinked, his mind working slowly to comprehend the image before him. This has to be some sort of dream.

 _It is not a dream, my human, the snake informed him mentally. That is the bond insignia, and it is a gift_. 

Harry did not know what the snake meant by "bond", but he had the feeling it was non-threatening. Or, at least, it wasn't as threatening as what he heard outside of his door. Someone was stomping up the stairs. Harry would know those stomps anywhere. Those were the stomps that led to bruises. Those were the stomps that Harry had come to fear. Those were the stomps of an angry Uncle Vernon. Everyone knew to get out of the way of an angry Uncle Vernon.

"Freak!" Vernon shouted, "What was that racket? Are you trying to disturb the neighbors, you wretched boy! Are you trying to do some voodoo shit on us? I won't stand for it! You're in for it, Freak!" It had been a while since Harry had seen Vernon this angry. After Sirius died, Harry tried to avoid human contact at all costs, which suited the Dursleys just fine. Vernon's screaming now shot fear through Harry again as he curled in on himself, well aware that he would hardly be able to move the next day. 

 _Do not be afraid, my human. I will always protect you_ , the snake spoke. Oh no, what would Uncle Vernon say about the snake? He'd probably try to kill him. He would not succeed. _Do not be afraid_ , the snake repeated. Inexplicably, the assurance comforted Harry.  

Well, it comforted him until he saw Uncle Vernon throw open his bedroom door, a murderous expression on his face. Without pausing, he advanced on Harry, his fist raised threateningly. Harry heard Hedwig shriek in anger, but she could do nothing to stop the whale of a man as he tried to assault his nephew. Harry saw the fist begin to descend on him, and he curled tighter around himself in anticipation for the blow. 

It never came. A loud hissing sound filled the room as the snake shot from Harry's shoulder, his jaws open wide to display his fangs threateningly. Vernon shouted, backing away almost immediately, tripping over his own feet in his haste. "What is that-that thing?" Vernon shouted. 

Harry smiled at Vernon's fear, satisfied that someone could finally strike back at him. Without thinking about what he was doing, Harry reached out a hand to stroke the snake's head. The creature relaxed, arching into his touch affectionately and curling his tail more firmly around Harry. "This is a Velenosa, one of the most dangerous magical snakes. His name is Valiant." Something solidified in Harry's mind at the naming of the snake. It was as if Harry had just made a decision about something after years of contemplation. It was a feeling of resolve. 

 _And you are Harry. My Harry._  

Vernon's eyes held wild fear as he frantically scrambled out of the bedroom door, thumps signaling that he was rushing down the stairs. Harry relaxed fully, his hand still unconsciously stroking Valiant. 

 _You named me_ , the sna--Valiant spoke in his head. 

_Yes, but what does that mean?_

That is the acceptance of the bond. The wizard names the magical creature, and the creature claims the wizard by name. We have both accepted the bond, and so we are now completely bonded.

_What does that mean?_

_The man will explain, Harry._

Hearing the promise somehow comforted Harry, and he relaxed into Valiant's embrace, barely aware of what he was doing.

\-----------

Albus quickly resolved to rush to the Dursleys as fast as he could. Voldemort must have somehow gotten past the wards and attacked. Harry must be in danger. Harry and Voldemort must be dueling; that must be the source of the power. Albus was unsure how Voldemort could have broken through the blood wards, but he was sure that Voldemort's power must have grown. Perhaps he had discovered an enchantment that would cause him to appear as if he meant no harm to Harry. 

Acting fast, Albus notified the Aurors of Voldemort and Death Eater activities at the Dursleys before Apparating into 4 Privet Drive. He did not hesitate to violate the unspoken rule of manners that one should never Apparate directly into someone's home. Albus knew that Harry's life was in danger. It was hardly the time to observe social protocol. 

Scanning his immediate surroundings, Albus noticed that the only indication of any unusual happenings was the fearful expressions on the faces of the muggles. Albus knew instantly that they would need to be Obliviated, but he did not have the time to spare for that. It was a miracle that they were still alive really, what with Tom’s hatred of any non-magical creatures. However, not only were the muggles unharmed, but no objects had been disturbed in the residence. No screams could be heard from anywhere in the home, no unusual colors of residual spells hung in the air. The only suggestion that anything extraordinary had occurred was the overwhelming magic Albus could feel palpably around him. It was most disconcerting to _know_ that it was there and to _feel_ that it was there, but to be unable to identify the source.

Turning to the Dursleys huddled together in the corner of the living room, seemingly shielding each other from the terrible freak whom had just rudely intruded on their evening, Albus spoke quietly and urgently, “Where is he?”

Of course, the Dursleys had no knowledge that Albus could be, in fact, referring to the Dark Lord. Unwittingly and fearfully, Vernon Dursley drew himself up to his full height, attempting to impose himself on the crotchety old man who had just _appeared_ in his living room. “The Freak is upstairs if you’re looking for him. You can take him; just don’t bother us. It’s enough that you _freaks_ are here in the first place.”

Albus was now officially baffled. It was impossible that Voldemort had arrived at the Dursleys without their knowledge that he was there. Tom loved his entrances too much, and he would never pass up an opportunity to torture and kill a muggle. No, there had to be some sort of other explanation.

 _Or,_ Albus thought, _perhaps they have already been Obliviated._

Voldemort would never Obliviate a muggle, preferring that they remain in absolute fear of the danger that he proposed. However, if Severus had been with Voldemort at the time, perhaps he had Obliviated them. If Severus had been there, perhaps Harry would be safe.

Without pausing to consider any other possibilities, Albus rushed up the stairs, refusing to register the protests of his elderly body. His wand was already in his hand as he cast a preliminary _Protego_ and a _Protego Horribilis_ around himself. Albus prepared himself to cast any number of offensive or defensive spells as he approached the only closed door on the second floor. He paused only a moment after finding the door locked from the outside, silently performing _Alohomora_ to unlock the door.

When Albus turned the knob as quietly as possible, he expected to find Harry perhaps hurt, or at least a destroyed bedroom with the amount of magic emanating from within the room. What he had not expected was a smiling Harry peacefully sprawled out on his bed, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, with a Velenosa snake wound around his torso.

“Be careful, Harry!” Albus spoke loudly before he could fully take in the situation. Harry startled at the sudden noise, jerking into attention and raising his right hand threateningly. The snake hissed and something on the hand glowed. A blast of energy swept Albus off of his feet, thrusting him into the air to crash ungracefully against the wall.

Harry gasped as he accidentally flung the Headmaster into his bedroom door, rushing to his feet. He stumbled a bit over his thin blanket in his haste to reach Albus. “Professor Dumbledore!” Harry exclaimed, horrified that he, a mere student, had unintentionally hurt the only wizard that Voldemort had ever feared.

The Headmaster sighed slightly, his extensive magic preserving him from physical damage. “I’m alright, Harry,” Albus assured. “In fact, I’m rather impressed that you were able to do that. It seems Hogwarts has been training you well.” A twinkle sparkled in Albus’s eyes as he assessed his Golden Boy. Many would say that Harry was Albus’s favorite student. Albus would always respond that he never played favorites, although he secretly agreed with them. The old man always had a soft spot for James, but James had also been rather cruel to Severus. Harry, however, was similar to James in his carefree nature, but he was much more responsible. Harry, Albus knew, would never harm another student unless it was in defense of himself or someone else. Regrettably, Harry knew responsibilities that James Potter never carried in school and thus was forced to behave more like an adult than James ever did. Albus respected Harry all the more for it. Regardless of what Severus said, and despite Harry’s uncanny physical similarities to James, Albus knew that Harry was much more like Lily than he was like James.

“Yes, sir. Are you sure you’re alright, sir? I didn’t mean to throw you like that. I-it’s just that you surprised me and I sort of…reacted.”

“I assure you, I am quite alright. I know you did not intend to harm me, and you did not. I am curious, though. How did you manage to break down both of my shields?” Albus asked.

“I’m, um, not sure, sir. I just kind of…did. I’ve never done any intentional wandless magic.” It occurred to Harry then that he had done magic outside of school. He had broken the Decree of Underage Magic, like had when he had defended himself and Dudley from Dementors. _When Sirius had still been alive,_ his mind supplied unhelpfully. “Will I be expelled for this, sir?”

Albus smiled, reminded that, despite the weight of Harry’s responsibilities and the time that he had spent in the wizarding world, he was still young and innocent and fairly uncertain of magical law. “No, Harry, you will not be expelled for this. The Ministry only tracks a minor’s wand. Accidental magic is too common for the Ministry to worry themselves over minor infractions. Besides, very few wizards previously have been able to perform conscious wandless magic at such a young age. Could this have any possible correlation to the snake that is currently residing on your person?” Albus knew for certain that Harry had bonded to this snake. He was fairly positive that the bond would be Second Degree, considering the considerable magic that was so palpable. Albus, with all of his talents, could not have summoned that much power through his bond with Fawkes, what with their bond being only Third Degree.

“I dunno, sir. Valiant won’t tell me anything. He keeps saying that the man will explain everything, and that we should spend our time getting to know each other better. I take it that you are the man, sir. Could you…I mean, would you be able to explain?” Harry sounded to innocent to Albus’s ears; he almost wanted to hug the clueless child. Of course, there was no way Harry could know about bonds and the like. Bonds were considered sacred magic and were not taught at Hogwarts for fear that students would pursue finding a bond despite their rarity. Albus could name a number of witches and wizards who had driven themselves mad in pursuit of their other half, only to discover that they did not have one. Albus sighed. _This is going to be a rather long chat._

\------------

“Yes, Harry, I can explain. First, however, I must find what type of bond you have so that I may properly address what the future may entail for you. Would you show me your right hand, palm facing upwards?” Nervously, Harry lifted his right arm, twisting it so that his insignia faced the ceiling of his bedroom. He kept his eyes firmly locked on the floor, unsure what the Headmaster would find. Harry jerked his head up, however, when he heard a gasp from the Headmaster. “Harry,” the man said, his voice sounding astonished, “start from the beginning. Could you describe for me exactly what has happened here? How did you get this snake? How did this insignia get on your hand?”

Harry decided that he was officially terrified. Was he not supposed to have the mark on his palm? Was something wrong? Was the Headmaster worried about Valiant? Valiant had promised he wouldn’t hurt Professor Dumbledore unless he threatened Harry! But how could he explain that? Would Dumbledore believe him? Hell, did he believe Valiant?

 _Why wouldn’t you believe me?_ Valiant asked. _You can see into my mind._

_You’re a snake. You could be lying._

He could feel Valiant’s indignation. _I am also your bonded._

 _Whatever that means,_ Harry replied.

“Well, sir, I’m not really sure what happened. I was thinking about…” Harry decided he didn’t want to tell the Headmaster that he was thinking about Sirius. He knew he’d get that same speech of ‘it wasn’t your fault, Harry’ even though it was. “…something, and I decided to read my Defense textbook. I really don’t know how it got there but there was a really big egg in my room. And I didn’t want to touch it, but I didn’t exactly have control so I touched it and then told it to hatch in Parseltongue. The egg hatched and Valiant was there. He touched my hand and I felt magic everywhere, and then I think the magic went into me but I could be wrong. That’s about it, I think.” Harry opted not to tell Dumbledore about Uncle Vernon. It didn’t really have any place in the events

 _Except that it tells him how they mistreat you,_ Valiant explained in Harry’s head. _That won’t happen anymore. I will kill them if they try to do that again._

Harry almost gasped out loud at that. _No! Val, you can’t do that!_

_Watch me. They hurt you. They need to be punished._

_Not by death!_

_Why not? They’d kill you if they could._

_That doesn’t mean you can just kill people. A lot of people want me dead!_

_Then they’ll die, too._

_No, Valiant, you don’t understand. I can’t—_

“Well, Harry, you really are an extraordinary boy. I don’t just mean because of the Prophesy,” Dumbledore smiled warmly. He always did feel rather fatherly to Harry. Not that he really knew what having a father was like.

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? I always thought that was a good place to start. Allow me to first explain bonds. Bonds are, in simple terms, connections between wizards or witches and magical creatures. However, they run deeper than that. A bonded pair is not just connected, but inseparable. A bonded pair would not hesitate to die for one another, but when one dies, the other either dies or goes mad with grief. It is not easy to explain how deeply a bonded pair is connected because it simply does not conform to words. It is worth mentioning that, once bonded, a pair cannot, for lack of a better word, unbond. Similarly, they cannot bond with any other creature. However, there are different…levels of bonding. A Third Degree Pair shares the weakest of bonds. They can do certain magic together, can understand each other, and prefer to live together. However, they are not on the same level as other bonds. For example, they cannot communicate mentally. Their communication relies solely upon body language and tone. I share a Third Degree Bond with Fawkes. Next, there is a Second Degree Pair.

“A Second Degree Bond is much stronger than a Third Degree. Second Degrees can perform much stronger magic wandlessly, they can speak to each other mentally, and it is difficult for them to remain apart for any extended period of time. They are greatly in tune with each other’s magic and often feel each other’s emotions. That is why it is so common that a Second Degree Pair should share personalities. Tom Riddle and Nagini share a Second Degree Bond.

“Lastly, there is the First Degree Pair. First Degree Bonds are the strongest of all. The possibilities are endless. They are not just in tune with each other’s magic, they _are_ each other’s magic. They can perform any type of magic wandlessly and wordlessly. They are not restricted to existing spells, but can invent spells simply with intention. For example, if a First Degree wizard wanted to fly, he would only need to think about flying and he would be in the air. A First Degree Pair is also greatly in touch with each other. They do not require words to understand each other, but they can communicate mentally if they are so inclined. They can feel each other’s emotions, remember each other’s memories, and if they wish they can live inside each other’s bodies. It is inevitable that they will share similar personalities. The Pair must also live together; otherwise, they will inevitably die or go insane. A First Degree wizard is said to be the strongest kind of wizard there is, and he is not limited to any form of magic. A wand amplifies his spell-casting to immeasurable power, but it is not required. The Pair can often connect to the very magic of the earth. Salazar Slytherin and his Basilisk with an unknown name were the last known First Degree Pair. That is until you and Valiant.”

“What?” Harry was completely caught off guard. He had been so absorbed in learning about bonds that he had not thought to put himself in any of these terms. To him, it was merely learning about another branch of magic, not learning about what existed between himself and Valiant. “How? I mean, what do you mean? How do you know? I mean, how do you know, sir?”

Dumbledore’s eyes held amusement and wonder and some other emotion Harry couldn’t identify. “Well, your wandless magic in throwing me backwards rules out a Third Degree. But what shows me with certainty that you share a First Degree Bond with Valiant is your insignia.”

“What about it?”

“Well, it is dark and moving. All bonded witches and wizards bear an insignia on their palms to signify that they are bonded, to act as an outlet for wandless magic, and to indicate the type of bond the wizard or witch shares. A grey, unmoving fire insignia signifies a Third Degree Bond.” Dumbledore held up his hand to show, indeed, a silvery, frozen image of fire upon his palm. “A black, unmoving fire insignia signifies a Second Degree Bond. A black, moving fire shows a First Degree Bond, as your palm indicates.”

“But how, sir? I mean, I’m not really anything special.”

“You are, Harry. You just don’t know it, yet. Now, of course you will require additional training in proper bonding, how to channel your magic through our bond, etcetera. I doubt very much that your relatives could provide any sort of education on that. Am I correct?”

Harry nearly laughed thinking about Uncle Vernon instructing him on how to use a magic bond and what it entailed. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, would you like to learn from someone competent? If you wanted, you and Valiant could move in with someone better suited to instruct you two.”

“And get away from the Dursleys?” Harry couldn’t help the desperate twinge of his voice, hopeful to finally escape the nasty muggles.

“Yes, you would move in with this other person.”

“Who is it?”

“I cannot say, yet, Harry. I would have to ask said person before we make anything final. However, I would say that you will most likely not remain in this house for much longer. Your newly powerful magic will protect you better than blood wards ever could.”

Harry couldn’t help the overwhelming relief he felt at those words. He wouldn’t have to live with the Dursleys much longer. He would get away. He would live in a wizard family, or at least with a wizard--maybe even Dumbledore! He would practice with his bond and Valiant. He and Valiant hadn’t gotten to know each other well, but if the Headmaster was correct—and Harry had no doubt that he was—they were bonded for life and could not be separated. It was inevitable that the two of them would get to know each other rather well. In fact, Harry sort of looked forward to having someone to care about who would care about him just as much. He wanted someone to take care of him and protect him. He wanted someone to love him and—

 _And I will forever love you, my human,_ Valiant assured him.

Yes, he would look forward to this very much indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> A short beginning chapter, but they'll get longer.


End file.
